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This some our statements of facts about what  homeless people have to go through and we believed that we can make on ending chronic homelessness.

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http://www.ocregister.com/2017/03/17/anaheim-year-round-homeless-shelter-on-target-to-open-in-april/
This article talks about the new shelter that is opening April 2017 located in Anaheim and this is a great move because the city are finding more ways to end chronic homelessness.

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This video is about how housing can prevent illnesses to spread to the the homeless. It explains that the streets can really harm the homeless and actually causes a lot of them to go to the hospital.

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For LA’s homeless, housing could be cure for chronic illness

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Los Angeles' homeless residents often struggle with chronic physical and mental illnesses -- health crises made worse by life on the streets. Hari Sreenivasan explores a Medicaid-funded initiative that aims to provide 10,000 of L.A.'s sickest homeless people with permanent housing -- perhaps the most basic way to improve health and reduce medical costs.

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Is the city responsible for the cause of homelessness?

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Is the city responsible for the cause of homelessness?

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This article gives a statement and facts on how everyone is held responsible for the homeless. It states here that as a city we should all care for them people and not let me go down into homelessness, also to actually help each other to build up as a city.

Through the eyes of Father Alice Callaghan aka "Father Alice", the homeless issue is everyone's responsibility.  By faith, care, and love this world can and will be a better place.

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In a July 15 Q&A article with Patt Morrison for the Los Angeles Times, Alice Callaghan, a longtime advocate for the homeless, was critical of the city of Los Angeles' policies and efforts to address homelessness on Skid Row.

When asked about the council's ordinance limiting the time the homeless had to remove their possessions or risk getting them seized, Callaghan said, "The city's overriding concern is not solving the homeless problem but the visibility of homeless."

Callaghan said the reason the homeless seem more visible these days is partly due to gentrification, and what she believes is the city's lack of response to protect affordable housing for homeless people.

During the 1960s, there were more than 10,000 affordable housing units called SROs [single-room occupancy hotels] on Skid Row, according to Callaghan. By the 1980s, there were about 6,700 and now, there are around 3,600 units.

When developers began converting units into upscale housing, it became too expensive for nonprofits, according to Callaghan.

"To [Mayor Eric Garcetti] the misery of the poor is not going to hold captive the gentrifying desires of the rich downtown," she said.
Q. How much responsibility should be placed on cities to secure truly affordable housing to accommodate the homeless? How does a city address this ethical responsibility when it conflicts with the rights and desires of landowners and residents?
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I'll admit it: I carry plastic cups of change in the car and hand them to the people on street corners with signs asking for help. I know, I know, it's better to give to organizations that can offer more permanent solutions. But there are so many ways in which I fail to be a good follower of Jesus, and this is one small thing I can do: He said to "give to whoever begs from you" (Matthew 5:42) and I do.

I know it's not a good solution. But in that moment of exchange, we look in each other's eyes, and speak to each other, and share a moment of common humanity; and it feels like I'm being at least a little bit true to my baptismal vow to 'respect the dignity of every human being.'

I couldn't have that moment, I couldn't follow Jesus in even that one small way, if the homeless people were "disappeared" from my view. If they weren't right there in front of me, I could pretend, with everyone else, that our society has made adequate progress in helping the people who need help.

We have not.

I've always thought that developers should be required to build a certain percentage of low-income housing, and another percentage of middle-income housing, for all the high-rent stuff they build - maybe 25% low income, 15% middle income, and 60% higher income. It's the only way I can think of to ensure that a city can provide good homes to its people - all its people.

A city isn't made beautiful by scuttling all the "undesirables" off stage; a city is beautiful when even the people off the stage are allowed to live with an adequate measure of human dignity, health and safety.

Los Angeles could be, and should be, a city made beautiful by caring for all its people.

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Alice Callahan has my respect and gratitude for her nearly 35 years of work for L.A.'s homeless. She founded Las Familias del Pueblo in 1990, when she was a Roman Catholic nun. This organization continues to serve immigrant communities, especially children, our future.

Callahan's demands of the city of L.A. are righteous and reasonable, and Mayor Garcetti answered that now we "begin to end homelessness," and asked for a $2 million budget increase.

But the moral responsibility to house everyone rests with us all. Systemic problems - that we tolerate at the very least - lead to homelessness: not enough housing that is truly affordable; low wages and high unemployment even as the economy (and profits) grow; and criminalizing mental illness and addiction rather than treating them medically. These permeate urban, rural and suburban communities alike.

Our massive number of homeless people requires national-level solutions funded at the federal level, and the money is there.

Here's the first money-pit crying out to be tapped - our nuclear weapons arsenal, which costs taxpayers $2.2 million per hour ( nationalpriorities.org), day in, day out, for bombs that any rational person knows we must never use.

Another, our taxes supporting more than 700 foreign military bases, which according to George W. Bush's Joint Chiefs of Staff, who are hardly peaceniks, "give us no strategic advantage" and "provoke antipathy toward the U.S."

Spare me talk of the "rights and desires" of landlords and residents. What about the "desire" for a home by those without one? Adequate affordable housing, including SROs, do not infringe on property rights. I'm not sure there is a constitutional right to a neighborhood without people living on its streets, but if we don't want our views ruined, let's get real about ending homelessness.

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All of us have a responsibility to care for the homeless, "provide for the general welfare " is the basis for the entire Constitution. To limit the responsibility for the current homeless situation only on Mayor Garcetti and his desire to honor the city of Los Angeles and the other residents of Los Angeles is short sighted. While I don't dispute the housing numbers of Alice Callaghan's report, we must look to the causes of the growing numbers of homeless people in the greater Los Angeles area. The early 1960s and the mid 2010s comparative populations are much different. The effects of the drug culture, the Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan, and their attendant cases of PTSD, have brought us new homeless victims.

Add to that the economic disaster and the housing market collapse of 2008 and we have a group of people vastly different than the dust bowlers of the 1930s who fled Oklahoma for California.

Where in the past, people had opened their homes to needy relatives and friends, this new homeless group brought concerns for health and safety for the host families. If there is a place to lay blame, then let it be on Proposition 13 in 1978, and its cut of social services. In the past social workers in California were able to provide services for those in need with individual and group counseling sessions. Documented evidence shows this is extremely effective with many of the victims of PTSD as well as addiction. We need to petition Gov. Brown, the California State Legislature and our federal representatives to increase the social services areas of their respective budgets to the levels that will deal effectively with the problems of the homeless and their families. Then we will have set in motion a partial solution, therefore, to the current homeless crisis, and God willing help them to return to us with dignity and honor. This will honor them, honor us and honor God, Mayor Garcetti and the most honorable Alice Callaghan for her efforts.

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Planning the logistics and minutia of balancing provisions for the homeless and the desires of landowners and residents in a quickly gentrifying city is a complicated and multifaceted problem. It should be handled by experts and no decision should be made hastily or entirely from a perspective of profit. It is something that must be carefully, thoughtfully and compassionately considered.

A huge part of the problem is how our American culture perceives the homeless. Of course there are concerned souls that make every attempt to treat all in an egalitarian, respectful and overall humanist manner. However, the majority of us consider the homeless "other than," a nuisance and criminal.

The fact of the matter is most homeless people are just trying to live with the cards life has dealt. They are as much human, deserving and ethical as everyone else. Were we in their situation, not only would we likely seek the same solutions, we would expect compassion and understanding. Yet, those are things we often do not give because they interfere with our personal and short-term desires.

To address this problem, we need to reeducate ourselves and change the way we educate future generations. We must inculcate society with a sense of loving kindness and empathy that is sorely lacking. Only when we truly put ourselves in other shoes, will a good and long-term solution percolate. We should not be thinking of it as "dealing with the homeless issue" but "taking care of our less fortunate neighbors and fellow humans with loving kindness."

One practical way we can do this in the short term is to not only continue to provide proper accommodations for the homeless but find ways to get landowners and residents involved with a stake in taking care of those less fortunate. We must take down the wall separating one group from the other and build a mutually beneficial dependency that respects both groups. It may drive some people away at first and even slow gentrification, but that is hardly the most important consideration. Over the long term, it will make this city a much better place to live.

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Our obligation to care for the needy and less fortunate is emphasized in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Although the LDS church has no position on the specific situation of the homeless in Los Angeles, the discussion provides an opportunity to review what the scriptures say, and the role that love and concern for others should play in our lives.

The Book of Mormon defines charity as "the pure love of Christ" - a type of love that makes the well-being of others a paramount concern. We believe that, as Paul noted, possessing this quality represents the apex of Christian devotion. We teach charity as a principle and encourage its practice. Through the church's welfare and humanitarian programs, members are given opportunities to give of our time through service, and to contribute money to provide for others.

As mentioned previously, I can't be sure what the church might say officially about Los Angeles and the obligation of cities to the homeless. As a result, what follows is my personal view, influenced by church teachings.

The responsibility of cities to the homeless is no greater than our own. I don't think we can expect local leaders to be more compassionate than the voters who elect them. If enough people were to voice concern for the homeless, local leaders would be more likely to adopt responsive policies and property owners would be more likely to support them. If enough people were to act independently to help the homeless, the burden on public services would be reduced.

The first step in helping the homeless is to look to inward. When we establish compassion and caring as personal standards, the question of government responsibility will be much easier to answer.

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In Theory: Is a city responsible for the homeless?

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In a July 15 Q&A article with Patt Morrison for the Los Angeles Times , Alice Callaghan, a longtime advocate for the homeless, was critical of the city of Los Angeles' policies and efforts to address homelessness on Skid Row.

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http://www.ocregister.com/2017/01/15/anaheim-residents-start-a-grassroots-effort-to-help-the-city-county-with-homeless-issues/
This article how the city of Anaheim is stepping up to the plate and is actually starting to find ways of helping the homeless such as building a new shelter for them.

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This explains on how the government is held responsible that they are the ones that are suppose to help and put the homeless individuals into housing. People believe that because the government should be the ones taking care of them.

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St. Bernards Housing Project residents broke through a fence and returned to reclaim their homes in New Orleans recently.
PHOTO/LOGAN PRICE

Homelessness continues to skyrocket in our country. It is the worst expression of the poverty being produced by a failing market economy. It is time for the government to outlaw homelessness - rather than the homeless - and take responsibility for guaranteeing that everyone has a home.

Yet the government seems to be headed in the other direction. Federal spending for public housing has fallen drastically over the past 30 years. In Atlanta, the city is planning to demolish thousands of public housing units and displace nearly 10,000 people. In Louisiana, every level of government continues to make clear it has no plans to house the poor who lost what little they had in Katrina. In Fresno, California, and elsewhere, tent cities erected by the homeless are attacked and dismantled by the police. In St. Petersburg, Florida, the homeless are herded into a city-run tent encampment where they are photographed, given identity bracelets and made to pass through police check points - in other words, they are in an outdoor prison. Are concentration camps next?

We, the people, must stand unconditionally on the side of the homeless, and demand that the government, acting as society's representative, provide housing - not shelter beds, not tents, not jail cells, but housing - for the homeless. If the market economy cannot provide homes for all of us, then the government must do so.

Homeless encampment, Fresno, California.
PHOTO/MIKE RHODES

Other countries have done this. Scotland has created an enforceable right to housing, and France is moving in this direction. We have plenty of wealth as a society to house everyone. There is plenty of housing. In fact, the U.S government owns millions of vacant housing units. So, why is anyone homeless?

Homelessness is the end result of a market economy that will not provide anything for those whose labor is no longer needed in an increasingly automated system of production. People are becoming homeless because workers are losing their jobs to high technology. Having no job in a market economy means you can end up homeless, even though there is plenty of housing. The law of private property, upon which this system is based, will not allow for anyone to get something for nothing.

We come together in a human society to take care of one another's needs. If not for this, then what is society for? How can we stand by while our brothers and sisters are homeless? We have the money and resources. We just have to force the government to do what is right - provide a home for everyone who needs one.

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People's Tribune: The government is responsible to house the homeless

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St. Bernards Housing Project residents broke through a fence and returned to reclaim their homes in New Orleans recently.PHOTO/LOGAN PRICE Homelessness continues to skyrocket in our country. It is the worst expression of the poverty being produced by a failing market economy.

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Percentage of Debates: Government is Responsible for the Care of the Homeless.

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Percentage of Debates: Government is Responsible for the Care of the Homeless.

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This graph is an example of what the people think who is responsible for the homeless and as you can see more than 80% believe that it's the responsibility of the government.

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http://www.endhomelessness.org/blog/entry/study-data-show-that-housing-chronically-homeless-people-saves-money-lives#.WQLT90XyvIU
According to this article, it shows how housing for homeless people can save more money than you think!!!!! It shows a graph on how it saves more because the homeless individuals won't get as sick in housing than how they are in the streets.

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Everyone is human even the government the government is for the people. Without us there is no government. And shelters could be built for homeless and with our resources that would be simple and you don't have to pay many people support the homeless. We could save our fellow brothers and sisters we could build shelters all over the world build families save lives and for the greedy government that is more people paying taxes and paying bills! Just remember were all here for a reason prove that you could save lives please!
http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-the-government-help-the-homeless#!

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Four things Government should do to help homeless people

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Four things Government should do to help homeless people

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‘I spoke to one man who left State care at 18 and was sent straight to a homeless hostel’ -Sr Stanislaus Kennedy
This article states on ways that the government should help the people who are in need and how they should start making the moves because people are suffering in such a sad way.

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I write this with sadness after the tragic death of a man sleeping rough this week. I offer my own - and Focus Ireland's - deepest condolences to the family of Jonathan Corrie. May he rest in peace. There must be time to grieve, for privacy and respect.

As a society we must ask what can be done to prevent future tragedies?

Rough-sleeping is getting worse. Latest figures show a 20 per cent rise in the numbers sleeping rough in Dublin since last year and an increase in Cork.

Staff from Focus Ireland's street outreach team (run in partnership with Peter McVerry Trust) are on the streets every night.

They help get people into emergency accommodation.

This is difficult as the emergency system is struggling to cope. Some nights there are not enough beds. Also, people don't want to go to some hostels as they don't feel safe there for many reasons - including addiction and mental health. Hostels don't meet everybody's needs, but the bottom line is that there must be enough quality emergency accommodation - with supports.

People who have addiction issues should have access to specialised services such as Focus Ireland's Caretakers Hostel which caters specially for people rough sleeping with addiction issues. There must also be enough beds in other facilities which are drug free.

I recently spoke to one young man who left State care at 18 and was sent straight to a homeless hostel as he had nowhere to go. He told me how people were using drugs in the same room as him. How can it be acceptable to put a vulnerable teenager in harm's way like this? Luckily Focus Ireland housed the young man and he was able to keep up his education.

Sadly, I have seen over the years that not every story turns out this way. We must protect people at the earliest stage possible. We can't stand over a system that puts people in harm's way. The harsh reality is that many people sleeping rough have been repeatedly failed by the State. They never got support to stop a problem from becoming a full-blown crisis or the opportunity to live independently.

Crisis situation

We must stop the growing number of people becoming homeless rather than just call for more emergency beds. The long-term answer is not more beds but providing more homes, supports and prevention measures. There are specific actions required to do this.

1 The Government can prevent more people becoming homeless. It must enable people to access accommodation by increasing rent supplement to match market rents; introducing tax breaks for landlords so it is feasible for them to lease properties; and provide greater security for tenants by regulating rents.

2 Ensure no young person leaving State care goes into homeless services. Focus Ireland has warned of the growing homeless crisis for young people leaving State care. This must be addressed if further tragedies are to be prevented.

3 Ensure there is early access to drug and alcohol rehab services and steps taken to tackle existing waiting lists. There must also be enough quality emergency accommodation with supports.

4 The Government must provide funding for local community services as required nationwide. There have been savage cuts to these services which support people and communities. These cuts must be reversed.

These services in the most marginalised areas can be a support that stops a young person falling into abusing drugs or alcohol.

As a society we have a duty to ensure people have a home. One where they have the support they need to deal with problems they may be struggling with.

We know this approach works as Focus Ireland is doing this in many cases through our own work.

However, despite all the good work by Focus Ireland the situation is continuing to deteriorate as there is a critical shortage of affordable accommodation.

A shocking total of 800 children and their families became homeless this year.

The State has taken some action to help but it's clearly not enough. More needs to be done.

Focus Ireland welcomed the €2.2 billion social housing investment over the next three years and the launch of the Government's social housing strategy.

This is the investment and long-term planning needed for years. It must be built upon to make up for decades of social housing neglect.

First homes

This must include better access to affordable housing.

This will help to prevent and combat homelessness for many people. Especially the growing numbers who are homeless purely for economic reasons.

I have outlined some of the actions that Focus Ireland staff are working hard to advance. But to protect these people much more needs to be done.

I think the hardest thing to do as a person or as a society is to look in the mirror and ask honestly,"What more can I do to solve this, what are my failings in this problem?"

This is something the Government - and all of us in our society - must do to help prevent future tragedies.

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy is life president and founder of Focus Ireland

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Four things Government should do to help homeless people

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I write this with sadness after the tragic death of a man sleeping rough this week. I offer my own - and Focus Ireland's - deepest condolences to the family of Jonathan Corrie. May he rest in peace. There must be time to grieve, for privacy and respect.

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How can the government help homelessness?

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How can the government help homelessness?

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How can the government help homelessness?

Both the government and private organizations offer job training programs to help homeless people get back on their feet. First Step, a program offered by the Coalition for the Homeless, provides job skills training, computer education, internships, and mentoring.
http://money.howstuffworks.com/homeless5.htm

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This explains the statistics on how much money people can save if the society helps to end chronic homelessness. Also it shows the percentage on how much money taxpayers pay right now

http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/ending-chronic-homelessness-saves-taxpayers-money

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Whose Ultimately Responsible For the Care of the Homeless? 

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Whose Ultimately Responsible For the Care of the Homeless? 